Friday, January 30, 2009

The real Talibans

The Ram Sene did exactly the opposite of what Lord Ram would approve of. Hooligans attacking women must be dealt with strongly. While it is right for the media to condemn ill treatment towards women, their conduct is hardly praiseworthy. Curiously, they recorded the Mangalore incident on tape while not making any attempt to stop the hooligans. They would be robbed of a sensational incident to report of they did. Besides, for them, TRPs are the prime concern. The fact that television cameras managed to get there ahead of time to record the happenings ‘live’ suggests that they had prior knowledge of what was about to transpire. Yet, there did not seem to be any attempt to alert the local police authorities, thus ensuring some ‘breaking news’ to report. Indeed, Superintendent of Police N. Satish Kumar has served notice to news agencies for not reporting the matter to the Police. The media in this case is clearly guilty of an accomplice to the crime.

Its own questionable conduct not withstanding, the media was quick to paint an entire community as villains.

This is how the ‘secular’ agencies reported the attack on Taslima Nasreen at Hyderabad (from B Shantanu’s blog) –

From NDTV:Controversial writer Taslima Nasreen was attacked by an unruly crowd at the Hyderabad Press club on Thursday. Three MLAs of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen or MIM were among those who attacked her…The Bangladesh born writer was there for the release of the telugu version of her book Sokhe at the press club when some 30 activists first raised slogans against her for alleged anti-Muslim remarks and then got rough.

From DNA:Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen was on Thursday roughed up by MIM activists who stormed into a book release function, injuring a Telugu writer and a press photographer…A group of over 40 MIM workers, led by party MLAs Afsar Khan, Ahmed Pasha and Mouzam Khan, barged into the press club at Somajiguda when the function was about to end.

From Indian Express:Noted Bangladeshi novelist Taslima Nasreen was roughed up by activists of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) at a book release function on Thursday.

From TOI (Identical PTI story):Noted Bangladeshi novelist Taslima Nasreen was roughed up by activists of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) at a book release function on Thursday

From Rediff:The police…booked a case against MIM MLAs and other activists under sections 147 and 18 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt)…

No mention or even an indication of the religion the attackers belonged to.

But, this is how the Mangalore incidence was reported (again from B Shantanu’s blog) -

From NDTV:India has been shamed again. Goons of a right wing Hindu outfit Sri Ram Sena in Mangalore barged into a pub and beat up women over the weekend

From DNA:In a case of moral policing, members of a right wing Hindu group allegedly assaulted boys and girls in a Magalore pub accusing them of behaving in an “obscene manner”.

From Rediff:Activists of a right wing Hindu outfit under the banner of Sri Ram Sena raided a pub in Mangalore, Karnataka, on Sunday and beat up four women who were present there.

From Economic Times:Meanwhile, cracking down on hooligans, police have arrested as many as 32 of the 40 alleged hooligans, including Sene state vice president Prasad Attavar.

From Sakaal Times:Members of a right wing Hindu group allegedly assaulted boys and girls in a Mangalore pub accusing them of behaving in an “obscene manner”, prompting police to arrest 10 of the attackers.

Notice the how the attackers are qualified in all their communal glory. 'Activists' and 'workers' attacked Taslima Nasreen, but is 'goons', 'hooligans' and 'right wing Hindus' who went beserk in Mangalore. Objectivity? Fairness? Yeah right!

Every attempt is made to conceal the Muslim identity when similar incidences occur and paint them as victims, while the same ‘secular’ agencies go to town painting Hindus as the oppressors even at a hint of Hindu involvement.

Everything must be filtered through the ‘secular’ sieve and everything must pass the ‘secular’ test. And who are the judges, the same ‘secular’ agencies!